Roost Site Selection of the Common Crane in Its Largest European Stop-Over Site

[摘要] AlongseveralmigratorycorridorsinEurope,theCommonCraneGrusgrusexhibitsavarietyofmigratoryandroostsiteselectionstrategies.Inthisstudywedeterminedwhichenvironmentalfactorsexplainedroost-siteusageofCommonCranesin64fishpondsand25marshessuitableforCraneroostinginsidetheHortobágyNationalPark(HNP,Hungary)between1995and2007.HNPhasbecomethelargeststop-oversiteofCranesinEurope.Despitetherelativelyhighnumberofpotentialroostsites,Craneschoseonly44%ofsuitablewetlandsforroosting.RoostsiteselectionofCommonCraneswasprimarilygovernedbyconservationmanagementmeasures,wetlandtypeandsize,aswellasdisturbance-relatedcharacteristicsoftheroost-site.Artificiallyfloodedmarshes,aswellaslargefishponds,activelymanagedthroughdrainage,farfromhumansettlements,areofcriticalimportanceforstagingCommonCranes.Thetimingofcontrolledfloodsinmarshesaswellasthematchingofdrainageforfish-farmingtomigratoryperiodsofCranes,serveassuitablemanagementmeasuresforwaterbirdconservation.Insummary,ourstudyemphasizestheimportanceofmanaginglarge,undisturbedwetlandswithspecies-specificmanagementprescriptionsinmaintainingmassmigrationsofwetlandbirds.

[学科分类] 动物科学

[关键词] Human Disturbance